Many systems are known for attaching decorative hub caps, wheel covers or decorative wheel liners to standard automotive and truck wheels to improve the appearance of a vehicle. Such decorative wheel covers allow use of less expensive painted steel wheels and standard mounting lug nuts, while providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
A popular form of decorative wheel covering for use with recreational vehicles and numerous truck chassis provides a stainless steel wheel liner which follows the contours of a standard steel wheel and simulates the appearance of an expensive chrome plated or cast wheel. Numerous systems have been proposed for attaching such wheel liners, including removing one or more of the mounting lug nuts and placing the liner beneath the lug nut so that the liner is retained against the wheel, or otherwise attaching the liner to the wheel such as by means of clips cooperating with hand holes in the standard truck wheel. Mounting brackets secured beneath the lug nuts, or utilizing specialized lug nuts with mounting grooves or collars, are also known.
It is desirable to provide a means of attaching such wheel covers which will not require removal of any mounting lug nuts, so that the wheel covers may be easily attached and removed by the user without need for specialized tools or removal of the lug nuts themselves. It is also desirable to provide such a system which will not affect the integrity of the wheel attachment or the cooperation of the lug nuts with the wheel itself.
There are many sizes and styles of wheels and lug nuts in common use by various manufacturers. It has typically been necessary for a specialized wheel cover mounting system to be provided for use with each of these many combinations, requiring large inventories of specialized parts. It is highly desirable to provide an improved "universal" mounting system which can accommodate several of these many configurations to provide greater flexibility and to minimize manufacturing and marketing costs.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification and accompanying drawings.